Prime Minister praises new Watford University Technical College

The Prime Minister has praised a new Watford secondary school, saying it will bolster efforts to make British pupils more prepared for the workplace.

David Cameron also said the Government was aiding preparations to get Watford University Technical College (UTC) ready to open its doors in September.

His comments were prompted at Prime Minister’s Question Time by a question from Watford MP Richard Harrington, who is heavily involved with the new school.

Mr Cameron said: "The Government is doing a lot to help Watford UTC get ready to open its doors in September and I think it is great that students can start to benefit.

"I think the UTC’s represent one area where we were ailing in the education sector in terms of preparing students for work. Ironically after the Second World War we helped the Germans establish these UTC’s but we didn’t put them in place here, and I am proud to be part of a Government that is finally doing that"

The Watford UTC, which will be based in Sanyo House, in Colonial Way, will offer pupils an educational structure that resembles the workplace.

Its students will do nine to five days, not be required to wear uniform and the school will also have no bells.

Comments (3)

It's also got no skips outside, so they're pushing it if they hope to open by the first week of September. There's hundreds of potential students who are on tenterhooks about them opening on time given the Government's crackdown on NEETS.
All the specialised and experienced educational construction firms in the area will have been booked up months ago for the major classroom refurbs which can only be done over the summer. As a former facilities manager in an FE/HE college, I can see that they've dropped the ball on this one. Sanyo House has been standing empty for a year now; they could probably have got an experienced company in much cheaper earlier on in the year.
If they are forced to delay opening, then that will have a knock on effect for other 6th forms and colleges who will have put resources in place to deal with the expected student numbers only to have them ditch the courses they have started four weeks into the new term.

I don't mean to knock UTC or be on a huge downer about them, the principal is lovely and the concept is exactly what's needed, but whatever reason they've had for not getting the skips in to clear the old premises really needs to be sorted out. Unless they plan to get the students to do it - I have known that to happen. Did it myself, in fact, when the upper echelons were faffing around about signing contracts with the builders in mid-July. We still opened four weeks late and that was a refurb only a fifth the size of this project.

It's also got no skips outside, so they're pushing it if they hope to open by the first week of September. There's hundreds of potential students who are on tenterhooks about them opening on time given the Government's crackdown on NEETS.
All the specialised and experienced educational construction firms in the area will have been booked up months ago for the major classroom refurbs which can only be done over the summer. As a former facilities manager in an FE/HE college, I can see that they've dropped the ball on this one. Sanyo House has been standing empty for a year now; they could probably have got an experienced company in much cheaper earlier on in the year.
If they are forced to delay opening, then that will have a knock on effect for other 6th forms and colleges who will have put resources in place to deal with the expected student numbers only to have them ditch the courses they have started four weeks into the new term.
I don't mean to knock UTC or be on a huge downer about them, the principal is lovely and the concept is exactly what's needed, but whatever reason they've had for not getting the skips in to clear the old premises really needs to be sorted out. Unless they plan to get the students to do it - I have known that to happen. Did it myself, in fact, when the upper echelons were faffing around about signing contracts with the builders in mid-July. We still opened four weeks late and that was a refurb only a fifth the size of this project.TRT

thewatfordutc wrote:
I reassure you &quot;no balls" have been dropped. We are opening in September with a truly wonderful group of Year 10 and Year 12 students and I can't wait. Emma Loveland Principal

Just wondering about whether the local residents will experience any parking pressures or were they consulted?

My other concern is that many of these so called new jobs seem to be in retail or service jobs where staff are taken on for six months and then the job is recycled when they are conveniently dismissed. A bit like when the government announces new money when it has simply been recycled.

Perhaps the experience of post office workers offers an insight into modern day working practice where workers are ground down as a resource to be quarried and pushed around with lock in arrangements which prevent them seeling their shares for years.

Apprenticeships in England need to be overhauled to stop many young people being awarded practical qualifications that have little worth, a report says.

Compared with other European countries, many apprenticeships are low quality and too short, the Sutton Trust warns.

[quote][p][bold]thewatfordutc[/bold] wrote:
I reassure you "no balls" have been dropped. We are opening in September with a truly wonderful group of Year 10 and Year 12 students and I can't wait. Emma Loveland Principal[/p][/quote]Just wondering about whether the local residents will experience any parking pressures or were they consulted?
My other concern is that many of these so called new jobs seem to be in retail or service jobs where staff are taken on for six months and then the job is recycled when they are conveniently dismissed. A bit like when the government announces new money when it has simply been recycled.
Perhaps the experience of post office workers offers an insight into modern day working practice where workers are ground down as a resource to be quarried and pushed around with lock in arrangements which prevent them seeling their shares for years.
Apprenticeships in England need to be overhauled to stop many young people being awarded practical qualifications that have little worth, a report says.
Compared with other European countries, many apprenticeships are low quality and too short, the Sutton Trust warns.Cuetip